wonderful, wireless, wales! an attainable broadband goal for all
TRANSCRIPT
Wonderful, Wireless, Wonderful, Wireless, Wales!Wales!
An Attainable Broadband Goal for An Attainable Broadband Goal for AllAll
Hedy Lamarr, Inventor of Spread Spectrum Radio, 1941
Her Actual Patent, Used by US Military, classified, for 40 years. Permitted for
general public use (FCC) 1985
Traditional Radio
Modern Digital Radio
Permits Shared Spectrum
• Many radios can use the same frequency band. Interference NOT a rural issue, and minor, urban
• Does not require a License to use (UK rules)• NO COMMUNICATIONS COST between radios• A local civic network can be ‘free’ yet broadband• Can also be interconnected to the Internet, with
fees. Network of radios, one access point to net• Many companies make such radios now• Radios dropping in price.
THE ABOVE ARE US STANDARDS
UK Standard is only 100mw EIRP 2.4ghz
There is no 902-928, and 5.8 is under review, but promising. Feasible for use across Wales
“Wi-Fi – 80211.b Radios”
• The most popular types• Many Client Radios Types• 1 Base Radio/Access Point• And/or as Relay Radio• 2.4ghz, no license• $250 to $2,500 AP/Relay• $100 to $500 Client Radios• 10mbps – BROADBAND!• Plug into Ethernet• Directly into Upstream Router
WHAT IS 802.11?
• ONLY A TECHNICAL STANDARD! (IEEE)• ALL RADIOS CAN TALK TO EACH OTHER,
EVEN FROM DIFFERENT VENDORS• 802.11b is for 2.4ghz Spread Spectrum Radios
called ‘Wi-Fi’ The most popular today.• 100 Radio Products have been Certified by
WECA 802.11b Compliant. All interoperable.• Speed - 802.11b is 11mbps, in 2.4ghz bands• 802.11g is 56mbps, in 2.4ghz bands (new, fast)
downward compatible with 802.11b radios• 802.11a is 56mbps in 5.8ghz bands
Antennas can help with range
• Omnis – 360 degree, low gain (2-8db)• Yagis – Directional, higher gain (8-36 db)• Attached Rubber Duck or PC/Card Blade (0 db)
Towers and High Points
• For more than 2-3 miles• Also can use tall buildings• Or television towers• Or tall trees• Or small tripods on small
Welsh Hills, solar/battery• Radios on high points can
‘relay’ over hills• 10 mile ranges practical
One Community Network Vision
My Own Wireless Neighborhood
The Situation in Wales, Today
• Pending better rules for no-license at 2.4ghz, and in the 5.0-5.8ghz bands
• 802.11b limited to 100 milliwatts EIRP• But distances are short in Wales• 3-5 miles can cover ALL towns from a central point• 5.8 ‘Hyperlan’ Radios can do 1 watt – for linking nets • ‘Commerce’ MAYl be permitted at last. • A National Commitment to Broadband• The Telcos (BT?) can’t do it affordably, wired• Lots of Grass Roots Wireless Activists/Doers ready to
get going. Already several networks up now in UK
The Value of Two-Way Internet
• Everyone a PRODUCER not just CONSUMER of Information/Knowledge!– Writers, Poets, Reporters, Thinkers, Inventors– Community Teachers as well as Learners– Art, Music, Self-Publishing, Entertainment, Historians– http://history.oldcolo.com– Storytellers WELSH ONLINE BARDS!– Programmers, engineers, web designers, technicians, installers,
accountants, marketers– New forms of Medicine and Health Care– ‘Citizen’ Science– WERC Caribou Poker Creeks Meteorological Stations
So think ‘Community Wireless!’
• Local (town/neighborhood) Wireless ISPs• 802.11b/g to the residence , farm, club
business, school, agency, hosp from ISP• 802.11 OR 5.8 from ISP to ‘Upstream’
Provider - BT fiber, or already Connected Business, ISP in the next town, College
• Local (ISPs) Web, Email, File Space for all• A local Server for every ‘community! • Let the ‘Community’ own and decide how!
Supports Revolution in Education
• Lifelong learning/teaching• Interactive & Distance Education • Distributed Teachers/Students• Access by all to World Resources, Experts• Entirely new way to teach/learn Welsh –
multi-media, at student’s pace. • Eventual REDUCTION in physical school
size and cost? (won’t need a seat for all students!). (controversial but real)
(A Modest (but Radical) Proposal)
• Every school/college should put up roof/tower antenna and wireless Access Points
• LOAN (or sell, like textbooks) a powerful Palm Computer with 802.11b card to use at school, but ALSO from home to connect! ALL students, rich or poor,.Rural or Urban.
• Let every student be connected, nights, weekends, holidays TO their school servers (for homework) and TO the world wide net! (which school is paying for 24/7!)
• Let all children learn to study/work/socialize remotely from young ages. PREPARE them for their Digital Future, where much work will be remote, collaborative, collegial, fun, self paced. Let them develop individually.
Supports The Digital Economy
• Work from Anywhere (incl home) part, full time• Use Computer as one ‘Means of Production’• Use Wireless/Net as a ‘Means for Distribution’• Start, Sustain, SMALL low capital enterprises• Work smarter – get answers via net• Work ‘virtually’ – cut lost travel time• Market Globally, from smallest farm/shop/home• Increase Productivity of Large Companies• ‘ Knowledge’ as the Strategic National Resource
Supports Community where there are ‘Community’ Web Servers
• Place locals can ‘meet,’ dialogue digitally• Place of local identity and pride – history in
maps, pictures, voices, text, music!• Permits cross-community dialogue • ‘Anyone’ can put up personal web site• Local Server as Teleport to the world • Place of local debate on local issues• The local Server as Digital ‘Commons’
Connected Welsh Community – Schematic Model
What Will it Take?• Strong Wiireless commitment from Assembly and more ACTION,
less talk by its government officials. Commercial use of no-license MUST be approved by the UK Radiocomms Authority
• Support for building local, wirelessly connected, ISPs in EVERY community across Wales. There are about 600.
• Training support for would-be ISPs/End Users• Get UK Government/Parliament to require BT to permit/enable local
wired/fiber INTERCONNECTION to local nets. CAPITALIZE ON INSTALLED DARK FIBER!
• Open up Spectrum Use Rules, permit more radio power in Rural than Urban! Make rules support pubic (people) connectivity, not just corporate, government, the big.
• EDUCATE, ENCOURAGE, SUPPORT the Public to get connected wirelessly at lowest cost, highest bandwidth!
600 e-fro Councils!
• 600 Local ‘Virtual Electronic Community’ action Councils across Wales. ‘fro’ old Welsh for ‘Community’
• Each representing/taking leadership within an average 3 mile (radius) of small towns and surrounding trade areas, or cohesive neighborhoods of larger cities.
• Comfortably within range of central 802.11b Severs, Access Points
• E-fro Council owns, builds, manages, community networks to the upstream point of interconnect with BT dark fiber, ADSL, cable, whatever…
Ways Government Can Help
• Encourage, help educate, the people• Educate Government Agencies and Departments• Seed-money fund e-fro start up Councils• Support technical and net use training• Review, update laws and spectrum rules• Analyze, publicize successful Digital Economy
enterprises, small as well as big• Educate the skeptical Press• Help develop foreign e-markets• Use Wireless Technology In all Govt agencies!• Don’t be part of the problem!
An Online Guide for Wireless ISPs
• Here is a complete online guide for Wireless ISP wanna-be’s! (URL)
isp-planet.com/resources/isp_guide/index.html
The Best Paper Book
• Building Wireless Community Networks
• By Rob Flickenger• November 2001• ISBN 0-596-00204-1,
125 pages, $24.95• [email protected]• 1-800-998-9938• http://www.oreilly.com
For more informationOld Colorado City Communications
(Who has been telecommunicating for 25 years, practicing what I here
preach)NSF Wireless Field Tests http://wireless.oldcolo.com
Dave [email protected]
JUST DO IT, WALES!
Dafydd, the Wireless American Warrior, Hughes – who cares about the
digital future of his ancestral lands
Wireless is the Way